The aristocracy in Hungary between the two world wars: An apparent continuity

The aftermath of the First World War represents for Hungary a break on more than one account: military defeat and dismemberment of the Kingdom of Saint-Stephen. The country ends up being led by the counterrevolutionary leaders who emerge in reaction to the Bolshevik experience of 1919. There are many aristocrats in this group who aim to restore their positions in the new state. However, on the eve of the Second World War, the decline of the of noble families is obvious. The new order of 1920 enabled them to keep their wealth and titles, but the peace treaties deprived them of their necessary raison d'etre: the king. The political choice of legitimism is logical since Hungary remains a kingdom. The other alternatives are either unacceptable or of last resort as it is the case with the regime of regent Horthy. The aristocrats are, with a few exceptions, absent from the far-right parties and alien to fascist movements, the War completes their removal from power. Finally, the majority of them goes into exile after 1945, and the few remaining families lose their status.